By Jeff Vorva

Manteno Mayor Tim Nugent was happy to boast the village gave away more than $1 million in rebates to its residents.

At the December 2 village board meeting, Nugent said $1,076,492 worth of tax rebates were given back to the residents, and two batches of rebates were sent out. Nugent said eligible residents should have received the rebates at the time of the meeting.

The village had 2,292 residential parcels and 1,697 residents applied for the tax rebates, Nugent stated, and 49 were denied.

“Either they weren’t in the village or had not lived in the house the entire year,” he said. “There were a number of different reasons, most of them similar to reasons there had been in the past. The requirement is they would have to occupy their home the entire year.”

Levy goes up

The village passed an ordinance that the levy will be increased to 2.5 percent for the period starting May 1, 2024 and ending April 30, 2025, which will give the village a levy of slightly over $2 million.

“We upped the percentage slightly from what we’ve done in previous years, but with the property tax rebate program, all of the single-family homeowners will get it back anyway,” Village Administrator Chris LaRocque said. “Obviously that percentage goes across all of the properties in Manteno, and it’s necessary we raise it slightly every year. Our expenses for the village go up every year, and this is a small portion of that increase that covers our expenses. It’s a necessary evil.”

Holiday warnings

Trustee Diane Dole passed along some information from the village’s police department about being careful during the holidays.

“Holiday seasons always bring a spike in crime because of the scammers who prey on the vulnerability of busy families,” she said. “If you are traveling, get an automatic timer for your lights. Ask a neighbor to watch your home, shovel snow, and park in the driveway from time-to-time. Don’t forget to have your mail and newspaper delivery stopped. If it piles up, it’s a sure sign you are gone.”

She added if people are gone for just the evening to still leave the lights and either a radio or television set on to give the appearance that someone is home. She warned not to leave gifts where they can bee seen and to lock vehicles and houses at all times.

After the holidays, she suggests to be careful about putting out boxes that had expensive items, such as a television set in the trash because that could draw attention to a thief.